Mystery surrounds Navy’s secret purge of nuclear sub leaders and Capitol physician

Detailed summary

The Navy has quietly removed several top officers recently, breaking from its usual practice of public announcements

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Congress has accused the Navy of keeping it in the dark about the dismissal of an entire submarine leadership team following an underwater collision.

“As a result of the Navy’s failure to communicate, what should have been a standard exercise in information sharing has instead raised questions about the Navy’s commitment to transparency and its commitment to a productive working relationship with Congress,” Reps. Joe Courtney of Connecticut and Adam Smith of Washington wrote in a letter to Navy leaders.

The two Democratic lawmakers said Thursday that the Navy failed to inform Congress it had fired the commander, second in command and top enlisted sailor of the USS South Dakota last month.

In the letter to acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and the Navy's top uniformed officer, Adm. Daryl Caudle, Courtney and Smith said they had “deep frustration” over the Navy's failure to notify the House Armed Services Committee about the firings. According to the letter, the three were removed after the nuclear-powered attack submarine ran into something on the seabed.

The Navy would not comment publicly. The developments could set up a contentious confirmation hearing next week for Cao as he seeks to permanently take over as the top civilian official. The departures break with the Navy's longstanding policy of announcing major removals of commanders and other highly visible officials. They also follow growing secrecy over military operations, especially in the Middle East.

Separately, the sea service in September fired the commander of a destroyer deployed to the Middle East, according to a defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive personnel matters. The Navy relieved Cmdr. Caitlin Cunningham, commander of the USS Michael Murphy, on Sept. 27 due to a loss of confidence, the official said.

The destroyer has been deployed to support…

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